Senator Merkley Speaks Out Against Jordan Cove

posted by Allie Rosenbluth | 950sc
December 13, 2017

For years, communities across Oregon have been asking Senator Merkley to stand with us in opposing the Jordan Cove fracked gas pipeline and export terminal. Youth rallied outside of his office, veterans held him accountable at the climate talks in Bonn, and people like you made hundreds of calls, asked him tough questions at town halls, and let Sen. Merkley know that we support a transition to clean energy jobs for all of Oregon, not backwards steps like Jordan Cove.

Last week, all that work paid off. Senator Merkley issued an official statement taking a stand in opposition to the Pacific Connector Fracked Gas Pipeline and the Jordan Cove LNG Export terminal! In his guest opinion in the Mail Tribune, he said:

“I cannot turn away from the knowledge that, like other large-scale fossil fuel projects, Jordan Cove will contribute massively to pollution that is profoundly damaging our state and our world. Thus, it becomes clear that we have to shift from building large-scale fossil fuel infrastructure, including Jordan Cove, and instead invest massively in building the enormous backlog of infrastructure projects that will improve our state and nation, not damage it.”

We couldn’t agree more! Can you call Senator Merkley at (541) 608-9102 or send him an email thanking him for standing with our communities?

Now we need Governor Kate Brown to show the same leadership. Through her official spokesperson, Brown responded to Merkley’s announcement with the following false statement to the Oregonian: "Just as the state cannot green light-this process, it cannot red light it either."

Gov. Brown is well aware that the state has the authority to stop this project, even if Trump’s appointees to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rubber stamp federal permits. Here’s how:

Two Oregon state agencies that Gov. Brown oversees can deny permits that will stop the project: the OR Department of State Lands (DSL) and the OR Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). For example, in 2010, the Oregon DEQ denied the water quality certification for the Bradwood LNG proposal which stopped the project for good.

The State Lands Board, which Gov. Brown chairs and which directly oversees the Department of State Lands (DSL), can reject authorizations for the use of state-owned and managed landsfor the LNG export terminal and pipeline.

Can you call (503) 378-4582 and email her office today to ask her to oppose the Jordan Cove fracked gas project, and instead support investment in clean energy jobs and infrastructure improvements in rural communities?